Malik Yahya/
Suspected Boko Haram insurgents have stormed a secondary school in Borno State during the ongoing National Examinations Council (NECO) Senior School Certificate Examination.
The affected school was identified as Government Day Secondary School, Lassa, located in the Askira/Uba Local Government Area of southern Borno State.
The school was serving as a centre for the ongoing NECO Senior School Certificate Examination when the suspected Boko Haram insurgents struck, forcing candidates and invigilators to flee amid the confusion as the attackers reportedly abducted several students and fatally shot a teacher.
According to Sahara Reporters, the terrorists attacked the community while students were sitting their NECO examinations, throwing the school into chaos before fleeing with several candidates.
The exact number of abducted students had not been officially confirmed as of press time.
The attack comes amid renewed concern over the safety of schools in parts of Nigeria affected by terrorism and banditry, despite repeated government assurances that educational institutions would be better protected.
There was no immediate official confirmation from the Nigerian Army, the Borno State Police Command or the Borno State Government on the latest incident.
The latest assault follows a string of attacks on schools in Borno.
In May, Boko Haram insurgents abducted 42 pupils and teachers from Primary and Junior Day Secondary School in Mussa, Askira/Uba Local Government Area, prompting widespread condemnation and protests by the Nigerian Union of Teachers.
Nearly three weeks after the attack, parents, teachers and community leaders publicly appealed to the Federal Government to intensify rescue efforts as the victims remained in captivity.
The Borno attack also comes weeks after armed bandits raided schools in Esiele community, Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, abducting pupils, students and teachers from Community Grammar School, Baptist Nursery and Primary School, and L.A. Primary School.
During the ordeal, one of the abducted teachers was reportedly beheaded, drawing nationwide outrage.
President Bola Tinubu condemned the killing as “barbaric” and directed security agencies to intensify operations to secure the release of the remaining captives.
He said the Federal Government was working closely with Oyo State authorities and pledged that those responsible would be brought to justice.
The attacks have renewed scrutiny of Nigeria’s Safe Schools Initiative, launched after the 2014 Chibok schoolgirls’ abduction to strengthen security around educational institutions.
Despite the programme, schools in parts of Borno and several other states continue to face threats from Boko Haram, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters and heavily armed criminal gangs.
At a national security briefing earlier this month, the Federal Government acknowledged that recent attacks on schools in Borno and Oyo had heightened public anxiety.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said the safe return of every abducted child and teacher remained a top priority, while insisting that security agencies were pursuing intelligence-led operations to rescue the victims and dismantle terrorist networks.
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